PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After a whopping 10+ inches blanketed parts of the region on Wednesday, a new storm alert could mean Portland’s in for more snow in the coming days.
On Friday, the National Weather Service issued a new Winter Storm Watch for Saturday evening and Sunday morning in the lower Columbia and greater Portland Metro area as well as Washington’s Cowlitz County and greater Vancouver area.
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Commissioner Mingus Mapps of the Portland Bureau of Transportation said the city’s plows are out to clear main roadways and emergency routes, though abandoned vehicles from the previous snowstorm may still hinder pathways.
TriMet issued an accommodation Wednesday to provide free transportation to warming shelters for those unable to pay their bus fare. This notice is set to end Saturday at 10 a.m., but TriMet Spokesperson Tia York said Multnomah County will likely extend the accommodation by Saturday morning.
But while officials mitigate risk city-wide, there are things you can do to protect yourself at home. Mapps issued a statement sharing his five tips to prepare for more snow, including:
- Shovel your sidewalk. This is important for your safety and the safety of your friends and neighbors.
- Check on your neighbors, especially the more vulnerable. Help them with groceries or drop off a hot meal if you can.
- If you can, avoid driving. The roads will be snowy and slick for a while, so stay home if possible.
- If you abandoned your car on Wednesday, please try to get it out of the roadway if you can do so safely. We still have streets closed due to abandoned cars, causing issues for our first responders.
- Prepare for more snow. It looks like we have more cold temperatures and snow on the way. PBOT will provide services 24/7, but I recommend stocking up on supplies and getting ready to hunker down.
Portland Fire and Rescue said freezing temperatures could mean frozen and ruptured pipes throughout the city, resulting in thousands of dollars of damage. Over the past week, officials say they responded to nearly 400 water pipe breaks in businesses and homes within a 30-hour period.
To mitigate risk, PF&R Spokesperson Rick Graves said to “take the time now to locate the valve box on the street or the valve coming into your home so you can quickly turn the water off on your own in the event of a catastrophic water leak.”
Here’s how to turn off your water valve, according to Graves:
“Your interior water valve is often in your basement and can stop the flow of water by having the handle go perpendicular to the direction of the pipe itself. If it is inline with the pipe, the valve on the inside is closed. If the handle goes across the pipe, the valve is closed and prevents water from free flowing. At the street, locating the valve box and at a minimum, marking it with an object so when we arrive you can quickly direct us to the location and we can use an industrial water key to shut off the flow of water at the street. You can perform this same ¼ turn of the valve with your own personal water key that can be purchased at a local hardware store or use a larger wrench you may have on hand.”
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